Monday, December 28, 2009

With the new year came new responsibility. In January, I became super involved in the Regent Undergraduate council [RUC] and served as the council's secretary. Between town hall meetings, office hours, and weekly meetings my schedule booked up quickly. I started the year with a spiritual/mental/physical cleansing. The time of fasting proved to be very valuable; God is good! Oh and the Winter X-Games took place :].

FEBRUARY

The Steelers started off the month with a Superbowl victory, I watched them win at the RUC football party! I flew up to Vermont to surprise my mother for her birthday! I enjoyed several days of SNOWBOARDING with my family- the highlight of the month. I did a project for my GENE class on sex trafficking, learned a lot and raised awareness of the issue.

MARCH

Busy, busy, busy. My parents came to visit, I stopped in at Liberty University to chill with Emily and I finally started to come out of my shell. Olivia, Clairisse, and I just galavanted across campus, tanned, and hit up the beach. My birthday was in March, and my lovely friends Bekah and Emily organized a party for me! I second AD'd for the first time on Audrey and Danny's film Cookies. I helped shoot a reality TV show throughout preview weekend and second AC'd April and Isaac's film 261. The first annual RUC talent show took place and I started working with the youth at Coastlands Community Church. Brooke Fraser's song "C.S. Lewis Song" became an obsession.

APRIL

The last month of classes, summer was quickly approaching, but life just got busier and busier! I stopped home for Easter, but brought Charlie and Meredith back with me! We pranked Josh's room 3 times and went to Buffalo Wild Wings twice :]. The RUC barbeque was a HUGE success, we had over 500 guests attend! This month was INSANELY busy!

MAY

Graduation! This month I hit up two graduation boat rides, Williamsburg, THE BEACH, Tyler's house for movies [and Chick-fil-A in his mustang!] Summer classes started and I made some new friends, since I knew NO ONE in one of my classes! Jenny, Keith, Sarah, and I went Strawberry picking, I stopped home for a week, and started my job in Undergrad Student Services! I really learned to meditate on God's word and use the wisdom gained from studying the Bible.

JUNE

June was the "I just want to be in New Jersey month." I went home every other weekend and surprised the family at 2 in the morning once! But, remember that band HILLSONG UNITED? I saw them in concert. By far one of the most powerful worship experiences of my entire life. The band was incredible and engaged the audience in a mighty God-inspired performance. I started going to Awake on Thursday nights, met Jars of Clay, locked my keys out of my car, and a series of great testing began. Jenny, Keith, Micah and I went to Kiptopeke State Park, and throughout the month I got super tan. :]

JULY

Mary and the Crew led worship, I saw a toddler pooping on the side of the road, and the sillyness of life commenced. I learned that Liv was diagnosed with cancer, but stood amazed at her optimism. Nic, Chuck, and I hung out a lot, found an air mattress, camped, invented Christic Ch-icken, and bought a fish [R.I.P. Tigre el Pescado] I got bangs! We started P90X! And then I had to move out. This month was SUCH a valuable time of friendship!

AUGUST

I went home. I got bored. I ranted about my distaste for Kelly Clarkson. I visited Rah Rah in New York. I struggled with forgiveness. I spend some quality time with the family. Tigre died. I met knew people. I ran orientation. I went to the beach... a lot. I moved in with Olivia, Sarah, and Hilary. In came the fall semester!

SEPTEMBER

Friendships with new students formed and have proven to be strong! I 1st AD'd Josh's film, Blameless and started the pre-pro for April's film Myla. Blameless was fun, but afterwards I needed a break, so I got up and left for Jersey! Haha. I realized that I needed to get into the word because my friends needed me. How can I encourage my friends spiritually if I myself am not investing time with Christ? Bekah, Chelsea, Sarah, and I helped with the McDonnell campaign, too! I bought a new snowboard. It is beautiful. Oh, and I got "set up." Hahahaha. The most rewarding part of this month was morning devos. Jordan, Nic, Gabrielle, and I would get up at 8 a.m. and read our Bibles over coffee. Such a blessing!

OCTOBER

Shooting for Myla started, and we got back into P90X. I helped with the Harvest Fest as a part of my job. The "husband/wife-to-be" craze began, Charlie, Eric, Tim, and I shot "music videos" to Hillsong United songs, I visited Emily at Liberty again and this time, tried the new Snowflex! The Yankees won the World Series and my friends and I made a fort in my apartment when my roommates were gone for the weekend. I documented my life for two days as well. I also learned to forgive this month, and truly understood the power of prayer.

NOVEMBER

I had this issue of waking up on time for things. I 1st AD'd Greg's film, Mommy Why, and started pre-pro for Josh's DawnBloom. The highlight of this month was my trip to Washington D.C. with Regent's journalism department! We visited Fox, The National Press Club, The Washington Post, the Newseum, and saw FAMILY FORCE 5 in concert. Thanksgiving was nice, but crazy; we had a huge family reunion! A bunch of us went to Sandbridge and saw a meteor shower, and instead of having a snow day, we had a rain day. Yup, Regent closed school for a hurricane!

DECEMBER

Crazy, crazy month. I thought last month was tough for waking up... this month I overslept for work TWICE. So unlike me! Shooting for DawnBloom was LONG, but SO SO SO SO much fun! We decorated Christmas land, had a fire drill at 1:30 a.m., and made horchata. A fort was constructed in the elevator, I planned the Pancake Feast with Whitney and Bekah, pranked Jordan's room, watched all the Harry Potters, volunteered at a food bank, got "snowed out" and was stuck in Virginia, had a blast at Christmas ball, then came home for Christmas. I received my new baby, Juanita the external hard drive, hung out with friends from home, and played several rounds of Sorry with my family. It hasn't happened yet, but Wednesday I should be going snowboarding! :]

Overall, this year has been an incredible blessing. I became so close to friends, family, and the Lord. Seriously, the only word that I can think of is blessed. I HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED. God has opened up doors, taught me to love, to trust, and to pray. Life has proven to be crazy, but the people in my life and the presence of the Lord have made it all worth while. Thanks to all my friends, new and old for embracing the true me and showing me how to live adventurously! You are loved!

MORE PICTURES FROM THE YEAR!

P.S., most of these pictures are Jenny's, Dan's, Chucks, Charlie's and some other peoples. Thanks for letting me steal your photos off facebook :]

Thursday, December 24, 2009

I have this weird, uneasy feeling about tomorrow. I don't know why. It's kind of odd. Like, sort of a guilt for receiving presents. This season I got caught up in the festivities and fellowship of Christmas. We had SO much fun at school just singing as we walked to the library, or making gingerbread houses. For me, that's really all I needed this Christmas. I know, that sounds so cheesy, and I DO need the external hard drive and rain boots I asked for, but honestly, I'm going to remember Christmas land and the fun random memories more than the gifts.

I think that when I'm married and it's just be and my FAH, I want to take a Christmas off. No presents, just time with friends, family, and Jesus. Christmas is so much more than gift wrap and things. I think I would really value the "no spending" season.

Also, speaking of plans for the future- I don't think I want a funeral. Who likes going to them? No one. My aunt Leslee passed away this weekend and we went to her funeral this week. Sigh, it was so sad. It made me think "Wow, I don't want to be here, no one else really wants to be here. People just come to 'pay respects.'" So when I die, can we have like... a party instead? Like a "Wow, Christen rocked, she loved Jesus, and snowboarding, and writing in her blog. Let's read that post where she said 'Can we have like... a party instead' LOLOL Christen was great."

Sunday, December 20, 2009

This is the second time my trip back to New Jersey has been delayed. New Jersey has two feet of snow. Virginia Beach has two flakes of snow. Nevertheless, roads are a mess up North so I am stuck at Regent until the roads clear out.

It's sort of a bummer. I miss my family. It's not a matter of being homesick, it's just the fact that I was supposed to be home yesterday, and I'm stiiiillllll here. Sigh. Luckily, Chelsea, Nic, Jenny, and Jordan are stranded with me. Hopefully they'll be stuck here another day too so I won't be a lonely girl :].

Picture of the Day: The four people who are still at Regent are in this picture.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Nic and I decided to prank Jordan last night...erm... really early this morning. Our plan was somewhat successful, Jordan played along, and text both Nic and I saying "You guys suck at this game, you're stinkin loud." Either way, we still had fun "paper towelling" Jordan's room. We placed individual sheets of paper towels all over Jordan's room, then wrapping papered his door and moved some furniture and groceries around. :]

Monday, December 14, 2009

Yup. I don't have my password. And I shut my phone off last night at midnight.

Charlie text Chuck and asked where I was. It's finals week. I must be awayyyyy. I just finished my script for my Storytelling and Scriptwriting. So that's one major project down. Now I have a paper, journalism package, four discussion posts, one book quiz, two listening quizzes, and I think that's actually it! Then I might be going snowboarding.

P.S. My new bindings came in the other day. They are LEGITTTT! Pictures of my new setup coming soon.

As for now, I must work on my reel. Oh. Yeah, I have a demo reel and resumé to create for my Motion Picture class. I will be the only girl in that class. Yep. And I'm fine with that! Haha.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

I am single. I am not in a relationship. Is anyone interested in me? Who knows. Regardless, the following is what I have concluded:

In being single I have bypassed a lot of pain. I see the hurt that my friends have gone through and I am thankful to have avoided the messes that "love" can cause. I see baby momma drama, back stabbing, grudges, and lots and lots of tears. Sure, sometimes it stinks to be the single one, but I have learned so much about relationships just from watching people. I think once I do enter a relationship, and I know I will in God's timing, I will have missed a lot of heartbreak.

I need this post as a reminder that as I journey, by myself, God is working in me. He is building me up. He is building my FAH [Future Awesome Husband] up. This is a time for us both to be separate, walking in God's ways before we can walk together. I'm down with chilling with the Lord. He's a cool Guy and I know He has some mad sick plans for my life :].

Contributors

Links

Regent University:

As a young, enthusiastic undergraduate student, I am thrilled to be a part of the on-campus community in the Regent Commons. My hall is a place where I can thrive spiritually, socially, and academically alongside 29 other girls who are in the same phase of life as me. Plus, the Commons hosts boat races, Mafia Wars, and other fun undergrad events.

Regent prays. The Lord’s presence is in ever y classroom, conference room, residence hall, and building. Students, faculty, and staff pray with and for each other. God’s power radiates from the campus, making Regent a powerful place to study.

My specific degree:

12 hour work days, 4 hours of sleep per night, 3 cups of coffee a day and a camera, laptop, and blank reports on standby make up the life of a Cinema Television (CTV) major. Whether I decide to sit at a news desk or stand knee deep in the feature film industry, Regent’s CTV program has prepared me technically, mentally, and spiritually to enter the film and television world.

Followers

The publisher/owner of this website, Christen Allocco, is solely responsible for
decisions regarding site content. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of
Regent University and Regent University assumes no liability for any material appearing
herein.